35 discrimination reports filed against Tax Authority

The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights (CRM) so far received 35 reports of discrimination by the Tax Authority, State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen of Allowances said in a letter to parliament. The government called in the CRM after a report on the childcare allowance scandal showed that the Tax Authority profiled citizens on ethnicity, NU.nl reports.

"The CRM will start processing the reports and requests in the course of February. This will initially done for parents who submitted a report/request without explanation, to request further information," Van Huffelen said. 300 thousand euros per year will allocated over the next two years so that the CRM can hire more people to help handle these reports and requests.

Van Huffelen said that she is trying to inform as many victims as possible that they can go to the CRM. The allowances information campaign for parents will be expanded to specifically address discrimination. The State Secretary is also looking for a way to systematically "search through files of benefit claimants for possible indications of discriminatory use of nationality," she said.